Mop heads of a variety of types and sizes are well known in the field of janitorial and household equipment, including mop heads for supporting string-like mop swabs and mop heads for supporting sponge mops. These mop heads are generally constructed of metals, plastics, or some combination thereof, and may range from a few components to a number of components.
Most of the heads in current use are intended to be user friendly by reducing or eliminating the need for direct handling of the sponge or mop swabs. Further, most such current mop heads are designed for a single purpose or function, whether it be for swabbing a floor, or spreading a protective layer of polish thereon, for example.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,251, to Pappas et al., discloses a single purpose mop holder, where such mop holder comprises a support structure consisting of a pair of mating plate members, i.e. base and cover plates, engaging a mop head therebetween. More precisely, the support structure includes a base plate member having a plurality of projecting studs which are inserted through apertures in the backing material of a mop head. The base plate member also includes an internally threaded boss. A cover plate member is placed upon the base plate member of the support structure. The cover plate member includes apertures along its front edge aligned to receive the studs of the base plate member. A knurled screw is inserted through an aperture in the cover plate member and threadingly engaged to the threaded boss of the base plate member thereby securing the cover plate member to the base plate member and securing the mop head therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,875, to Kirkkala et al., discloses a rotary brush consisting of a cylindrical member having plural brush elements attached to and extending radially therefrom. The cylindrical member includes a plurality of longitudionally disposed rails, and the brush elements are mounted in a housing having a groove therealong sized for sliding engegement with a respective rail.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,715, to Lewis, Jr., discloses, as a preferred embodiment thereof, a tufted brush article that may be integral to a glove, for example, and to a process for manufacturing same. The article consists of a fabric having upper and lower surfaces with tufts disposed on the upper surface and a tuft receiving member disposed integrally with the tuft on the lower surface. The tuft receiving member typically includes a projection which registers on the tuft and extends through the fabric material. The projection is then melted and the tuft end fused so that the tuft can be mounted on the fused projection to form an integral connection. This is just another example of a single purpose cleaning product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,314, to Dickinson et al., discloses a dual purpose mop holder consisting of a frame and a scraper component attached to the frame for removing stubborn materials from floors or baseboards, where the scraper has tapered sides terminating at a scraping edge and is provided with a plurality of teeth. This type of device appears to offer to the user the convenience of a single implement for addressing difficult areas to clean that may be encountered during a conventional mopping or cleaning operation. However, it does have its limitations due to the hard nature of the scraper teeth, and their natural tendency to mar the surface of the floor.
In many instances while mopping a floor, one may encounter particularly stubborn stains or encrusted material stuck to the floor. In these instances, the traditional mop itself is insufficient to remove or dislodge the stain. In the past, it has been necessary in many cases for janitorial personnel to carry an ancillary brush or scrubber for addressing such stubborn stains. When the stain was encountered, the janitor would put aside his mop, wet the ancillary brush or scrubber, and manually scrub the stain or encrusted material from the floor, whereupon the mopping operation could be continued. Obviously, this is an inefficient and time consuming process. Hard toothed scrapers, such as that shown in the Dickinson patent, are not satisfactory solutions because they tend to scratch and mar the surface of the floor. Further, the mop must be manipulated away from its normal mopping orientation in order to use the scraper.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a mop that will allow a user to mop a floor in the usual way, but that will also allow for the cleaning of stubborn stains and encrustations when encountered without interrupting the mopping operation and without requiring that the mop be manipulated in an awkward way to clean a stubborn stain. It is to the provision of such a mop that the present invention is primarily directed.